“If there is any type of fraud or intimidation in any part of the registration or voting process, this task force will be prepared to address it,” said Nevada Secretary of State Ross Miller, whose responsibilities include that of chief elections officer for Nevada. “We’re constantly reminding Nevadans that every vote counts, and part of making sure every vote counts is ensuring the integrity of the system.”

"The right to vote is a cornerstone of our democracy,” said Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. “Nevada's voters should be able to exercise that right without fear of corruption, fraud or intimidation. This task force will work diligently to protect the integrity of the voting process."

“The U.S. Attorney’s office is pleased to be part of the Election Integrity Task Force, which is committed to ensuring that the November 2008 election is administered fairly in Nevada,” said U.S. Attorney Greg Brower. “Our District Election Officer will be working with the Task Force before, during, and following the election to oversee the handling of any complaints of election fraud and voting rights abuses in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters.”

“True democracy requires the public to maintain confidence in its voting system,” said FBI Special Agent in-Charge Steven Martinez. “This multi-jurisdictional task force will do its part to ensure such confidence, to include the diligent investigation of those who willfully and intentionally violate federal elections laws.”

Some of the potential violations that will be the focus of the Task Force include citizens being registered to vote by individuals who are paid per application, and multiple registration applications with seemingly identical handwriting, indicating that the same individual may have completed more than one registration under different names. It is illegal for registration drive organizers to base compensation on the number of completed applications. The Task Force will also be watching for registration applications being discarded when the potential voters don’t match the profile desired by the group conducting the registration drive.

“The best way to ensure that your voter registration is up to date is to check your status on www.silverstate08.com,” said Miller. “If you register to vote with a person or an organization conducting a registration drive, it’s your responsibility to make sure that the application ultimately makes it to the county registrar. The best way to make sure that happens is to personally deliver it or mail it to the registrar, rather than leaving it to some outside group or third party.”